A fairly straightforward puzzle from Oxymoron this week. Each clue requires a letter or a word to be removed before solving. These spell out a quotation which reflects the clues and suggests how some answers are modified before entry. The originator’s initials must be highlighted.
The quotation is “… something extra, superfluous, unnecessary, essentially a power thrown away.” This is from Particularly Cats by Doris Lessing. “The power thrown away” determines that any answer containing a P must lose it before entry into the grid. As required by the preamble, all her initials must be highlighted in the grid, ie all the Ds and all the Ls. The Ds are in the shape of a large D, and the Ls in the shape of a large L.
Solving time: not particularly quick, just short of 3 hours, I think.
Legend:
ABC* = anagram
ABC< = reversal
abCDef = hidden
XYZ = extra letters or words in clues
P = letter P dropped from answer before entry
| ACROSS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SOME | SCATT | tax: SCAT (break in Cornwall) + T (end in profiT) |
| 5 | THIN | SAUGERS | swimmers: S (special) + AUGERS (tools for boring); a sauger is a North American pike/perch |
| 11 | G | TEBETH | month abroad: BEG T (time) in THE* |
| 12 | E | RUPIA | skin ulcer: RU(B) + I (iodine) in PA (dead) |
| 13 | X | ENORM | very big, once: [MR ONE (somebody)]< |
| 14 | T | TOPAZES | humming birds: TOP (start) + A (acting) + ZES(T) (reduced enthusiasm) |
| 15 | R | APRIL | Mary follows this: PR (prince) in AIL (trouble) |
| 17 | A | DREDGER | sprinkler: D (Dutch) R (gardeneR finally) + AGREED* |
| 18 | SUPER | LIE-IN | extended occupancy of pit (ie bed): LIE (story) + IN (concerned with) |
| 19 | F | DEMODE | unfashionable: DEME (township) concealing DO< (fact) |
| 21 | L | ELAPSES | slips away: (LESS PALE)* |
| 22 | U | DREADFULNESS | statue inspiring awe: (UNDERFED LASS)* |
| 26 | O | DENUDE | strip: EN (nurse) wearing DUDE (coat) |
| 28 | U | SLEEP IN | lie in (18ac): SLEE (Scout’s surreptitious) + PIN (fix) |
| 31 | S | DEEDS | feasts: DEE (letter) + D’S (duke’s) |
| 33 | U | VULCANS | metalworkers: VUL< (love) + CANS (bogus) |
| 37 | N | TIRL | strip (Scotland): T (then, northern) + IRL (Ireland) |
| 38 | N | EPIGEAN | growing close to the ground: PINE* + GEAN (cherry tree) |
| 39 | E | SIMPAI | primate: SIM (low churchman, abbr for Simeonite) + PA (pope) + I |
| 40 | C | OPT IN | choose to participate: O (cold) P (priest) TIN (can) |
| 41 | E | RESPECT | heed: RE (one) + P (positive) in SECT (dissenting body) |
| 42 | S | TSETSES | flies: SET (slot) in SETS* |
| 43 | S | SEPSES | bacterial invasions: SEES (calls son) about SP< (return of special) |
| DOWN | |||
| 1 | A | STEDD | poet’s palace: SD (South dakota) occupied by TED (Hughes perhaps) |
| 2 | R | CENDRE | rash blond: END (finish) in CRE (half CREdit) |
| 3 | Y | ABODE | home: BO (man) D (died) in AE (one, Scots) |
| 4 | E | TEREDO | wood borer: TREE* + DO (cone) |
| 5 | S | SHEREEF | magistrate: REEF (banks) supporting SHE (female) |
| 6 | SENT | ATTIRE | clothing: AT (to) T (Thailand) IRE (keen resentment) |
| 7 | I | UPROLL | close: UP (success) + ROLL (turin) |
| 8 | A | GRAMPIAN | area of Scotland: RAM (weather) in GP (practitioner) + I (in) + AN |
| 9 | L | RIEMPIES | strips of leather: PIE (colin) in MISER* |
| 10 | L | SPASM | start: S (singular) PA’S (plater’s) M (mile) |
| 16 | Y | BESEE | treaty: B (Belgium) + E (Spain) + SEE (wait upon) |
| 20 | A | MENED | made a complaint (Scots): MEAN + ED (educated) |
| 23 | P | RE-EDITS | revises again: REED (grasps) + IT + S (son) |
| 24 | O | AUDIENT | paying attention: AUNT (relative) concealing DIE (stoop) |
| 25 | WE | USURPERS | they assume: PURSUE* + RS (rupees) |
| 27 | R | EVINCE | show clearly: [CI (banks of CharI) + NEVER]* |
| 29 | T | ECLIPSE | covert: LIPS (kisses) in E (English) CE (church) |
| 30 | H | IN PLACE | opportune: I (one) + N (note) + P (piano) + LACE (chord) |
| 32 | R | STAPES | part of rear: TAPE (strip) in SS (ie on board) |
| 34 | OWN | ALMES | dancers: MEALS* |
| 35 | A | SPLITS | cracks: SPIT (long road) round L (lake) + S (has) |
| 36 | WAY | DEPOT | store: O (of) in DEPT (department) |
Sorry Mr Hennings no one replied.
I looked at the preamble and was put off by this puzzle!
Thank-you for placing the solutions here. I’ll give it a go.
Being new still to advanced cryptics it’ll help me a great
deal.
Thank-you Sir.
Dave – nice work – I am afraid I also took a brief look at the preamble and took refuge in something a bit lighter and fluffier…
There must be someone out there who took this on and will appreciate your efforts.
As Confuse-us once said: “If a crossword is blogged but nobody else tried it…then the blogger has a good chance of winning the prize!”